Shoe cleaning apparatus



\, Aug. 28, 1951 '0, vTOTZ 2,565,894

SHOE CLEANING APPARATUS Filed April 1s, 1945 Patented Aug. 28, 1951 UNITED ISTATES 'PATENT OFFICE SHOE CLEA-Nino. APPARATUS Ottmar Stotz, Evanston, Ill.

Application April 1c, 1945, serial No. 588,566 e claims. (c1. `lei- 311) The invention relates :generally `to shoe cleaning apparatus and more .particularly vto apparatus for removing dirt, dust, mud .and like 4foreign matter from the `bottom of lshoes while the shoes are on the feet of vthe wearer.

One object of the invention is rto provide a new and improved apparatus of the character described in which all operating parts are .readily accessible for Aoiling or repair, while at the `same time the apparatus .presents an :attractive appearance having all parts lexcept 'the brushes concealed.

Another object is to provide a new .and im proved shoe cleaning apparatus that is compact, sturdy and capable of economical manufacture.

Still another object is to provide a shoe 'cleaning apparatus having an endless brush for removing foreign material from `the shoes, the brush and the driving belt therefor .being formed integrally.

Other objects and advantages will 'become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a horizontal sectional view of a shoe cleaning apparatus embodying the features of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional Yview taken approximately along the line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View taken ap l proximately along the line 3--3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken as a section through the forward end roller.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, it is shown in the drawings and will 'hereinafter be described in a preferred embodiment. It 'is not intended, however, that the invention is to be limited thereby to the specific construction shown. On the contrary, vit vis intended to cover all modications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

As shown in the drawing for exemplary purposes, the shoe cleaning apparatus comprises generally a casing 5 vwhich houses a movably mounted, endless brush 6, a motor "l for driving the same, and a `suction fan 8 lfor drawing into a container 9 the dust, dirt vand other `particles that are loosened from a .shoe as .it .is Vplaced by a wearer in position to be engaged and cleaned by the brush 6. The brush 6 is disposed tohave its upper run immediately adjacent vthe top of the casing 5, and the casing has an opening formed therein sufficiently large tofreceive ashoe placed sole Aor bottom downwardly, thereby enabling .a 4person about to enter a building where the shoe cleaning apparatus is provided to place first one shoe vin contact with the brush and, after that has been cleaned, to place the other shoe in contact therewith.

in greater particularity, the casing 5 coinprises a baseorbottom wall I extending the full length of the casing, upwardly extending side walls I I, and an upwardly extending, partial, forward end `wall I2 which may all be formed from a single sheet yof metal. Extending transversely of .the casing so as to form a forward compartment I3 and a rear compartment I is a partition I5. The lpartition extends the full depth of the casing and is positioned so that the rear lcoinpartrnent is approximately a third of the size of the forward compartment. From the partition forwardly, the side walls I I extend upwardly .only approximately half the depth oi the casing, as Vdoes also ythe end wall I2, but from the partition I5 rearwardly the side walls II extend upwardly the full depth o the casing. The rear compartment is completed by a rear end wall it which is hingedly connected at its lower edge to the bottom wall I0 and at its upper edge has formed integrally therewith a top wall portion 'H extending at :right angles to the rear end wall I6.

.Completing the forward compartment I3 is a cover I8 composed of a top portion I9 and depending .side portions 2t cooperating with the partialfront end wall and side walls to complete the forward compartment. The cov-er It is hingedly connected at 2i with the top edge of the 'partition I5. It will be apparent that access may thus be had to both compartments simply .bythe swinging of vhingedly mounted cover portions. The cover I8 has formed in the top portion 'I9 an elongated rectangular opening 22, large enough to receive sole-downward a shoe to be cleaned.

The brush 6, as stated, is an endless belt type brush composed of any suitable, flexible compound such as rubber, a plastic, or the like, `capable of having bristles 23 secured therein. The lbrush is somewhat longer and somewhat wider than the largest shoe likely to be cleaned by the apparatus and is formed along each side edge with an outwardly extending flange 24 also provided with bristles so that the brush will be eiective to clean in the `crevice or" the shoe formed by the meeting of the uppers with the -sole .and heel. Also formed integrally with the brush along each side edge'is Van inwardly .ex-

3 tending bead or rib 25 which herein ltakes a cross sectional shape of a V having its apex cut off. The beads or ribs 25 function as an integrally formed driving belt for the brush, as will presently become more apparent.

To the end that the brush 6 may be disposed with its upper run in registry with the opening 22 and with the outer surfaces of the flanges 24 iiush with the top of the cover I8, a plurality, herein four, of spool-like, rotatable supports 26. 21, 28 and 29 are provided. Each of these is mounted on a shaft 30 extending transversely of the casing and journaled at its ends in bearings 3l. These bearings are removably secured, as by bolts 32, to an angle iron bracket 33 which extends longitudinally along each side of the casing in the compartment I3. The brackets are secured to the side walls I I by any suitable means,

such as bolts or rivets `34, and project slightly Y upwardly (see Fig. 4) beyond the upper edge of the side walls so as to overlap the depending side portions of the cover I8 when the same is in position, and thus aid in providinga neat fit of the cover. At least the end ones 26, 29 of the spool-like supports comprise a pair of pulleys 35 each formed with a flat-bottomed V-groove 36 for the reception of the V -shaped bead 26 on the brush 3. The pulleys 35 may be fast or loose on the shaft 39, but if loose should at least be held against movement longitudinally of thelr shaft 3S. In order that the pulleys may, among other purposes, serve to hold the brush in proper lateral position relative to the opening 22, the rspool-like supports are preferably made solid from pulley to pulley, and thus have an intermediate, cylindrical portion 31 having an outer surface 38 flush with the outer periphery of the pulleys 35 so as to provide a support for the portion of the brush lying intermediate the pulleys 35. This intermediate portion 31 may, of course, be formed integrally with theV pulleys 35, or separately therefrom, and it may be a solid cylinder or a mere shell. Herein it is shown as formed separate from the pulleys 35 and as a solid cylinder. Formation of the intermediate portion 31 separate from the pulleys 35 has the advantage that it may be formed of less expensive material than the pulleys and the further advantage that if a pulley is somehow damaged the replacement thereof will beA less expensive where it can be replaced as a separate unit, rather than necessitating replacement `of the entire spool-like support. For further economy in the manufacture of this apparatus, spool-like supports 21 and 28 may be made without the pulleys 35, inasmuch as their primary function is that of giving support to the intermediate Vportion of the top run of the brush when a shoe to be cleaned is placed down thereon.

The bearings 3| of the spool-like supports 21, 28 and 29 are stationarily secured to the brackets 33. The bearings 3l for the spool-like support 25, however, are mounted for adjustment longitudinally oi the casing so as to permit of adjustment of the tension on the brush 6. To that end. the brackets 33 are formed with elongated slots 39 through which the bolts 32 extend. The rearmost spool-like support 29 is additionally pro-V vided with a pulley 4I) for transmitting the driving power for actuating the brush. This pulley is fast on the shaft 30, and in this instance at least, the pulleys 35 are also fast on the shaft so that, as the shaft is rotated by the pulley 40, the pulleys 35 also will be rotated andthus impart movement to the brush. .Y Y j Power for driving the brush is obtained from the electric motor 1 located in the rear compartment I4. This motor is mounted with its axis transversely of the casing and has fast on one end of its armature shaft a pulley 4I. Running over the pulleys 40 and 4I is a belt 42, the partition I5 being suitably apertured to permit the passage of he belt therethrough. It will be appreciated that the pulleys Band 4I are so proportionedin size that when the motor 1 is operating the brush will be'driven at a proper speed.

Also located within the rear compartment I4 and also driven by the motor 1 is the suction fan l8. The fan is disposed with its axis transversely of the casing in order that the impeller thereof may be mounted directly on the remaining end of the armature shaft of the motor 1. The center of the fan communicates by means of a passage 43, which diverges outwardly as it progresses from the fan, with the rear end of the compartment I3, such communication being effected through an opening 44 formed in the partition I5 for that purpose. The fan 8 operates to set up a suction and thereby draws air, and with it any dust that may be created by the brushing of a shoe, through the spaces around the brush into the compartment I3 and thence through the passage 43. This dust and dirt-laden air is discharged to the container 9 which is constructed in well known manner to retain the dust and dirt particles while permitting the passage of air through the pores therein. Any large particles of dirt too heavy to be drawn by suction of the fan into the container 9 collect in the b ottom of the compartment I3 and may be periodically cleaned out through an opening 45 formed in one side wall and normally closed by a removable plate 46.

The motor 1 is under the control of a normally open push button switch 41. This switch is here shown as operated by a foot of the person using the apparatus. To that end, there is pivotally mounted at the forward end of the casing a lever 48 having an arm 49 for engaging and closing the switch 31, and a second arm 56 in the form of a treadle extending the full width of the casing and projecting outwardly of the casing where it may be actuated by the toe of one shoe, while the other shoe is being cleaned.

It is believed apparent from the foregoing that l1 have perfected an improved apparatus for removing dust, mud and other foreign matter from the soles of shoes so as to prevent the dirt from being tracked into a building, The apparatus presents a very sightly appearance inasmuch as all operating parts, save the portion of the brush which does the work, are completely concealed. At the same time the apparatus is easily serviced cr repaired because access to any portion of the operating mechanism is readily had simply by the swinging of a hinged cover portion. The apparatus, moreover, is sturdy, has a minimum number of operating parts and thus is free of trouble and may be economically manufactured.

l claim as my invention:

l. In a shoe cleaning apparatus, a casing having an opening in the top thereof large enough for the reception of a shoe placed sole-downward, a plurality of rotatable supports mounted within said casing, said supports each comprising a shaft, a pair of pulleys each having a peripheral groove spaced longitudinally of the shaft and an intermediate cylindrical portion separate from said pulleys providing a surface flush with the periphery of said pulleys, an endless belt brush mounted on said supportsand having formed integrally therewith along each side edge an inwardly extending bead shaped for frictional cooperation with the groove in said pulleys, and means for driving the pulleys of at least one of said supports, said endless belt brush being formed along each side edge with an outwardly extending flange provided with laterally inwardly extending bristles to clean in the crevice between the sole and the shoe upper.

2, In a shoe cleaning apparatus, the combination of an elongated casing forming a housing, said casing including a bottom wall, side walls and a front end wall, with the front end wall and portions of the side walls extending upwardly only a portion of the height of said casing and a partition dividing said housing into two compartments and a cover hingedly connected to the top edge of said partition having a top portion with an opening formed therein and depending portions adapted to cooperate with the portions of the front end and side walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall to complete the front end and side walls, an angle iron bracket secured to the inside surface of each portion of said upwardly extending side walls and extending longitudinally of said casing and projecting upwardly beyond the top edge of the partial side walls to overlap the depending portions of said cover when in closed position, a plurality of bearings removably bolted to said brackets spaced longitudinally of said casing, a plurality of supports rotatably journaled in said bearings, an endless belt brush carried on said supports, and means for rotating at least one of the supports for driving said brush, said endless belt brush being formed along each side edge with an outwardly extending flange provided with laterally inwardly extending bristles to clean in the crevice between the sole and the shoe upper.

3. A shoe cleaning apparatus comprising, in combination, an elongated casing forming a housing, said casing having a bottom wall extending the length thereof, an upright, transversely extending partition dividing the casing into a forward and a rear compartment, side walls extending upwardly the full depth of the casing from the partition rearwardly and over a portion of the depth only from the partition forwardly, a.

6 rear end wall hingedly connected at its lower edge to the bottom wall and a top wall for the rear compartment integral with the upper edge of the rear wall, a partial front end wall and a cover hingedly connected to the upper edge of the partition and having depending side wall portions adapted to complete the forward compartment, the cover having an opening therein large enough for the reception of a shoe placed sole downward, an endless flexible belt brush, means for supporting the upper run of the brush in the forward compartment immediately beneath the opening in the cover comprising a plurality of transversely extending, longitudinally spaced circumferentially grooved rotatable supports, a suction fan for drawing dust out of the forward compartment having communication with the compartment through the partition, and a motor for driving said fan and said brush, said endless ilexible brush having formed on each of its inner side edge portions a continuous bead seated in said grooves of the rotatable supports on the respective sides for rotating said rotatable supports.

OTIMAR STOTZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France Feb. 26, 1927 

